Feeder of non-flowing material



Sept. 13, 1966 s. G. BEAN 3,272,397

FEEDER OF NON-FLOWING MATERIAL:

Filed June 20, 196.3

25 27 INVENTOR K Il f j IeI-mml 62 eazz.

United States Patent O 3,272,397 FEEDER F NON-FLOWING MATERIAL Sherman G. Bean, 151 E. Main St., Lepsic, Ohio Filed June 20, 1963, Ser. No. 289,308 Claims. (Cl. 222-200) This invention relates to materials handling equipment, and, more particularly, to that piece of equipment known in the industry as a feeder.

There are many different types of feeders, the most commonly known being the hopper, belt, gate, and screw; these basic types are more often than not combined to produce still more complicated devices, which have one basic purpose of feeding material to a predetermined place in a minimum of time. Unfortunately, not all materials are free-flowing, and many materials will tend to cling to the sides of the hoppers leading to the material moving mechanisms, thus causing a bridge to form of product resulting in a tunnel or pocket over the feeder mechanism.

It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a feeder of non-flowing material that will effectively assure the flow of the material at all times into its material moving mechanism.

Another object of this invention is to provide a feeder of non-flowing material that is specially adapted to devices having a screw mechanism for the movement of the material.

Another object of this invention is to provide a feeder of non-owing material that can be mounted in place of the usual hopper with a minimum of effort and in a minimum of time over any mechanism that moves material ina horizontal direction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a feeder of non-flowing material that is fully automatic in its operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a feeder of non-flowing material that can be constructed 'by any machine shop without the need for special tools and the like.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a feeder of non-flowing material that can be thoroughly cleaned in a minimum of time and with a minimum of effort.

From the preceding, it is seen that the invention has as its objects, among others, the provision of a feeder of non-flowing material of the character described which is of simple and economical construction and which can be employed to meet the requirements indicated above. Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description.

Referring to the drawing for a more detailed description:

FIGURE 1 is an end View of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a partial side view of one end of this invention showing material coming from the same.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of one end of this invention.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Having reference now to the drawing in detail, there is generally indicated by the character 6 a typical hopper that consists of upright supports 7 that are made from equal-leg angle irons. The uprights 7 are connected together at each end by an angle iron 8. A sheet metal side 9 and an end piece 10 make up the fixed portions of this invention, which is also provided with a swing- 4ably mounted side 11 that embodies a side panel 12 supported by end members 13 (only one is shown in the drawing) and lateral members 14. The entire side 11 iS swingably suspended from hinges 15, although only one is visible in the drawing. Two or more radial cams 16 are mounted on a horizontally disposed shaft 17 that is ice located directly behind the lower end of the aforesaid side panel 12, against which the cams 16? act through a cam follower 18 that is suitably secured to the backside of the side panel 12. The cams 16 and shaft 17 are parallel to the horizontally disposed screw conveyor 19 that is centrally located at the lowest point in the aforesaid hopper 6, as clearly shown in FIGURE 1 of the appended drawing. The cam shaft 17 is geared or otherwise connected to the conveyor shaft 20 of the screw conveyor in order that the cam shaft will be continuously rotating, thus giving a swinging movement to the lower end of the aforesaid side 11 of this feeder of non-flowing material. The swinging motion of the lower end of the aforesaid side 11 naturally breaks the bridge of any material that may have a normal tendency to cling to the side of the hopper creating a pocket rather than to flow freely into the screw conveyor, which will move the material into the stainless steel cylinder 21 that embodies a screened end member 22 and a screen 23 that encompasses the aforesaid cylinder 21, thus providing a means of exit for the material, as best shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawing where it is also seen that the aforesaid conveyor shaft 20 extends out beyond the screened end 22 through a supporting pillow block 24, which rests on the channel 25 that forms the end of the material receiver 26, which has its sides 27 likewise formed from channel members.

Although it has not previously been stated, it is realized that each end of the cam shaft 17 is rotatably supported by a pillow block 28, which rests upon a support 29 which is suitably secured to the structure of this invention. A `stainless steel trough 30, that is basically V-shaped when Viewed `from either end, is located directly under the aforesaid screw conveyor 19. One side edge 31 of this trough is so located as to be in line with or slightly behind the lowermost edge 32 of the swinging side panel 12 of this invention, when the panel is back away from the aforesaid screw conveyor 19. The weight of the side panel 12 will normally keep the same pressing against its cam follower 18 and cams 1-6.

While this invention has been applied to a hopper hav- `ing a screw conveyor at its lowermost point, the screw conveyor can, of course, be replaced with any other type of conveyor and still fall within the scope of the appended claims. For example, the invention will work equally well in a hopper having a continuous belt conveyor as the means of horizontally moving the material, which can be stock feeds of the ybran or mash type; flour; feeds in pellets, granules, or meal form; powdered sugar; brown sugar; sawdust; wood chips; sand; granulated nut meats; all types of salt; any form of chemical product; and, of course, dry or wet concrete and the like.

This invention can be manufactured in any desired size; and the shape and number of its structural members can, of course, vary with the particular requirements to which the machine may be placed.

While the preferred form of the invention has been herein shown and described, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the details of construction and in the shape, combination, and arrangement of the several parts, within the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1. Dispensing apparatus for a material having a tendency to bridge comprising a hopper including a movable side panel, hinge means at an upper portion of said side panel and supported by said hopper for pivotally supporting said side panel, said hopper defining a long bottom opening, a screw conveyor extending longitudinally of said opening, `a trough below and encompassing said screw conveyor, a rotatable cam supported outside said side panel by said hopper and contacting said side panel below said hinge to pivot said panel, and drive means for simultaneously driving said screw conveyor and said cam.

2. Dispensing apparatus for a material having a tendency to bridge comprising a hopper including two end walls, a side panel extending between said end walls and in slidable contact therewith, hinge means at the upper edge of said side panel and supported by said hopper for pivotally supporting said side panel, for movement about a substantially horizontal axis, said hopper dening a long generally rectangular bottom opening, a screw conveyor extending longitudinally of said opening, a trough below and encompassing said screw conveyor, means supported outside said side panel and contacting said side panel below said hinge to pivot said panel, and drive means for driving said screw conveyor and said panel-moving means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized by said trough having a side extending outwardly at least to the outermost position of said side panel.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 characterized by said side panel sloping downwardly and inwardly and contacting said panel-moving means by force of gravity.

5. Apparatus for dispensing a material having a tendency to bridge, said apparatus comprising a hopper including two end walls with parallel, planar inner surfaces, a side panel extending between said end walls .and in slidable contact with said surfaces, hinge means at the upper edge of said side panel and supported by said hopper for pivotally supporting said side panel, and drive means supported outside said side panel and contacting same to pivot said side panel back and forth continuously during the dispensing of material therefrom to break any bridge formed by said material.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,171,998 9/1939 Trapani 119-53 2,593,803 4/1952 Schofield 222-413 X FOREIGN PATENTS 18,395 8/ 1929 Australia. 951,171 4/1949 France.

ROBERT B, REEVES, Primary Examiner.

STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Examiner. 

1. DISPENSING APPARATUS FOR A MATERIAL HAVING A TENDENCY TO BRIDGE COMPRISING A HOPPER INCLUDING A MOVABLE SIDE PANEL, HINGE MEANS AT AN UPPER PORTION OF SAID SIDE PANEL AND SUPPORTED BY SAID HOPPER FOR PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING SAID SIDE PANEL, SAID HOPPER DEFINING A LONG BOTTOM OPENING, A SCREW CONVEYOR EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID OPENING, A TROUGH BELOW AND ENCOMPASSING SAID SCREW CONVEYOR, A ROTATABLE CAM SUPPORTED OUTSIDE SAID SIDE PANEL BY SAID HOPPER AND CONTACTING SAID SIDE PANEL BELOW SAID HINGE TO PIVOT SAID PANEL, AND DRIVE MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY DRIVING SAID SCREW CONVEYOR AND SAID CAM. 